IBM and SAP report the successful upgrade of Shell’s downstream SAP system covering operations in 35 countries, four global businesses and 29,000 users. The upgrade was carried out as a component of Shell’s ‘Downstream One’ program that sets out to ‘simplify and standardize’ its business processes from manufacturing to marketing. Downstream One initially implemented simplified business models, standardised processes, roles and responsibilities prior to the global roll-out of SAP. Shell Downstream users can now access the same system, with common data, common processes and a uniform basis for reporting.
IBM provided business consulting services and analyzed Shell’s existing processes. SAP’s business transformation services group added an ‘upgrade value assessment’ to identify areas of improvement based on their knowledge of new functionality and SAP solution roadmaps. IBM also led an IT asset refresh, which saw Shell switch to the latest IBM Power 7 Series (P780) servers in order to deliver greater computing power and improve IT efficiency. With the delivery of the upgraded system, IBM will continue to provide ongoing maintenance support. More from IBM and SAP.
This article originally appeared in Oil IT Journal 2014 Issue # 1.
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